Aurora Expeditions' 130-guest X-BOW ship, small enough for plenty of landings and set up for kayakers, divers and ski tourers.
Sylvia Earle is the ship we suggest to people who want to do things in Antarctica, not just see it. Aurora built it around a mudroom with individual lockers and drying space for dry suits and wetsuits, and it supports add-on activities from sea kayaking to diving and ski touring. The Antarctica Active voyage bundles many of these in. With 130 guests at most and 15 Zodiacs boarding through four doors, landings move quickly.
The Ulstein X-BOW hull is shaped to cut through the swell rather than ride over it, which helps on the Drake Passage. It does not make the crossing calm, but people prone to seasickness tend to be glad of it. There is a real science programme too: a Citizen Science Centre, lecture theatre and a team of naturalists, so the evenings are full of talks worth staying up for.
It is warm and relaxed rather than formal. Meals are open seating, house wine and beer come with dinner, and the pool and two hot tubs on the back deck are where people gather after a cold landing. If a marble bathroom and a tasting menu matter more to you than time on the ice, look at a larger ship instead.
Two porthole staterooms on Deck 3 of about 22.7 square metres, close to the mudroom and the loading platforms.
Deck 7 staterooms of about 19.9 square metres with French balconies, floor-to-ceiling windows and a desk.
The main stateroom types on Decks 4 and 6, with private balconies, from about 19.9 to 28.7 square metres. Many B rooms interconnect.
Dedicated single balcony staterooms on Decks 4 and 6, from about 19 to 24.6 square metres, for solo travellers.
About 29.2 to 31.2 square metres on Decks 4 and 6, with floor-to-ceiling windows and room for travellers with plenty of gear.
Four Junior Suites on Deck 7 of about 41.9 square metres with a separate lounge, and a single Captain's Suite of about 43.9 square metres.
A lounge inside the X-BOW with huge windows and forward views, the best seat on board when the ship is approaching the ice.
The Deck 8 lounge with wildlife guides, books and binoculars, for watching the landscape and spotting wildlife under way.
A quiet room with floor-to-ceiling windows, non-fiction and wildlife titles, and space to sort photographs or play board games.
Where naturalists and local specialists give talks, and where guests join the onboard citizen science programme.
The starting point for every landing, with a locker for each guest and rapid-drying areas for outer layers, dry suits and wetsuits.
Meals are served in an open-seating dining room, with different menu options for each course and morning and afternoon teas. Tea, coffee and snacks are available 24 hours a day, and house wine, beer and soft drinks are included with dinner. The voyage ends with Captain's Farewell drinks and a three-course meal.
Between landings there is a gym, a Wellness Centre and a sauna, and on the back deck a heated pool and two hot tubs looking out over the water.
Aurora welcomes young travellers and runs a Young Adventurers programme for children from six travelling with adults. Ask us which voyages and activities suit your children's ages.
| Guests | Up to 130 |
|---|---|
| Ice class | Ice Class 1A, Polar Code 6 |
| Built | 2022 |
| Length | 104 metres |
| Hull | Ulstein X-BOW |
| Zodiacs | 15, boarded through four doors |
| Embarkation | Ushuaia, Argentina |
| Medical | Medical clinic designed for remote areas |
Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia and the Weddell Sea, sailing from Ushuaia, Antarctica
A few of the things we plan for guests in Antarctica.
The Lemaire Channel is a narrow strait between the peninsula and Booth Island, with sheer peaks close on both sides. On a still day the peaks are reflected in the water. Ice can block it early in the season, so it is never guaranteed. Be on deck with a warm drink as the ship turns in.
Gentoo, chinstrap and Adélie penguins nest on exposed rock along the peninsula through the southern summer. Landings at sites such as Cuverville Island or Neko Harbour last a few hours. Visitor guidelines ask you to keep your distance and give way, and penguins often walk right past anyway.
When landings are not possible, or as an extra, guides take you out by inflatable boat among grounded icebergs. Leopard seals and crabeater seals rest on the floes, and humpbacks sometimes surface close by. For many of our travellers it is the part of the trip they talk about afterwards. Waterproof trousers and a dry bag for your camera matter here.
A night in Buenos Aires and one in Ushuaia, then 11 nights on a small expedition ship across the Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula, with Zodiac landings among penguin colonies and cruises through the ice.
Tell us your dates and who is travelling. We will check availability, suggest the right room and send a price.
